Pupils at West Calder High School have helped to raise funds for Yorkhill Hospital after their teacher’s baby required life-saving heart surgery.

Christopher Traynor was born on September 28 last year and when she was just nine days old it was discovered that he had a large hole in his heart.

“But more worryingly,” said his dad, Mark Traynor, the school’s music instructor, “he had transposition of the great arteries and, to top it off, only one coronary artery.

“It’s a condition where the two large vessels that take blood around the body and to and from the lungs are reversed. It affects 20 to 30 in every 100,000 births.”

On October 16, Christopher went through major heart surgery at the hospital to repair his ‘broken heart’.

Mark said: “After a six-and-a-half hour operation, Christopher made it through. But the next 48 hours were crucial.

“We watched our little fighter battle through those following hours and days — not without its hiccups — and, remarkably, nine days later he was discharged and our precious boy was heading home for the second time.”

Mark, who is also senior wind band conductor at the school, added that, since getting home, Christopher continues to thrive.

He said: “If it wasn’t for his scar you would never know what he had been through in his short life. Christopher’s long-term prognosis is very good and he should lead a long, healthy life.”

Mark told the audience about his baby son at the school’s spring concert, where Miss Glen’s S3 craft group sold a variety of gifts they had made that term.

After hearing his story, the group chose to donate all proceeds of their sales — an amazing £273 — to the collection. On the night, thanks to the group’s kind gesture and to the generosity of all in the audience, a total of £900 was raised for Yorkhill Hospital.

Mark said: “The care and support our son received in this very special hospital was simply fantastic. There are no words we can use to say how grateful we are to Christopher’s surgeon, Mark Danton, and the doctors and nurses who looked after our little boy.